Warm Hugs
by MinervaDeannaBond
Summary: Once at her great-granddaughter's birthday party, Violet begins to feel frozen all over again. Fortunately, Sybbie is there to warm her up with a hug and a child's unconditional love. Modern AU; sequel to "Snow Sisters" and "The Ice Queen and the Cupcake."


I had planned on leaving my modern Downton-_Frozen _AU with _The Ice Queen and the Cupcake, _but inspiration struck today and this was written in a burst. I wanted to show Violet in another light here - interacting with her great-granddaughter, which we haven't seen her do on the actual show. In this modern AU, we see Violet feeling a little frozen again, and Sybbie comes up with just the act of true love to thaw her. I apologize if she seems out of character here, but honestly, this is how I imagine Violet is like when she's alone with her great-grandchildren. Soft, sweet, and vulnerable, with that "heart of pure custard," to quote Maggie Smith.

* * *

><p>Arendelle had come to England.<p>

Or something very close to it. On the outskirts of London, Tom and Sybil Branson's modest home looked very much like any other respectable residence. On the inside, the house had been made over to resemble the winter kingdom of the movie _Frozen, _and not merely by sprinkling some white fluff all over the room. Oh no, this was, as the Americans would say, the full enchilada. False snow covered the floor of the Bransons' spacious recreation room, artificial trees dripped with crystal icicles, and Tom had even lit the entire room in a soft blue light, furthering the illusion of a frozen wonderland.

Violet Grantham had to admit that Tom and Sybil had truly outdone themselves. The finished result was actually breathtaking, and the score from the film, Elsa's theme in particular, lent an ethereal quality to the atmosphere. But for all this beauty surrounding her, Violet felt strangely out of place.

Why, she didn't know. So far, the birthday party had been a smashing success, with five-year-old Sybbie jumping up and down with glee at the sight of her own little Arendelle. The games were a hit with everyone present, particularly Pin the Nose on Olaf. Watching this one made Violet smile, because not very often did she get to witness her son voluntarily making a fool of himself. Only for the love of his granddaughter, though, did Robert come to the party dressed as Olaf the Snowman and _then _subject himself to little children sticking a paper carrot onto his nose. Of course, Sybbie was the winner in this game, because of all the times she had played Pin the Tail on the Donkey with her "Donk."

Violet's smile grew even wider as she now witnessed Robert giving Sybbie a piggyback ride over to her birthday cake, which Tom was now cutting. Her son was the only one at the party dressed like Olaf. Everyone else had come as variations of the four main characters of the film. Tom was dressed like Kristoff, as was Violet's great-grandson George. Matthew was Prince Hans. Edith, Sybil, and Isobel were all dressed as Anna, and there were not one, but _five _Elsas! Violet herself was wearing the Elsa costume that Isobel had made for her; Cora and Mary were likewise wearing the ice dress; and Violet's two great-granddaughters, Marigold and the birthday girl herself, were dressed in little Elsa outfits.

The children looked absolutely adorable, no doubt about it. But as Violet watched Cora and Mary glide about the room in their own Snow Queen frocks, she couldn't help but wonder if it had been a mistake to try and match up to such glamor. The two younger women obviously didn't have to worry about evidence of age as she did; no worries of looking fat in their frocks or of concealing the years' toll on their arms.

_You're being ridiculous, Violet, _she told herself as she sipped her punch. Logically, yes, she was. Hadn't she said earlier, as she gazed at her reflection in Isobel's mirror, that she looked pretty? Hadn't Isobel backed her up? Why on Earth did this negative side of her constantly cause her to doubt? _I guess I'll never know, _she thought bitterly, draining the last of the punch. _If only Isobel were here to reassure me. No, that's being selfish. She's playing games with the children; let her enjoy herself. I'll just stay here and look pretty - or as pretty as I can_ get_. _Violet shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. _God, I'm getting soft. I feel sorry for myself and all of a sudden I need a hug._

"Nana!"

Jerked back to reality by a joyful shout, Violet's eyes snapped onto a flash of blue and silver that was now skipping toward her. Immediately, she felt her heart lift. "Hello, darling!" she greeted her great-granddaughter, holding out her arms for the child. There were those who said Violet was an ice queen, but no one could dare deny that she loved her great-grandchildren with all of her heart.

Sybbie clambered up into her great-grandmother's lap and threw her arms around Violet's neck. Immediately, the room became a little warmer, as it always did when Sybbie's innocent, unconditional love shone through. "Thank you for my necklace, Nana," she said, her big blue eyes shining as she looked into Violet's face. "It's so pretty."

Violet glanced at Sybbie's neck and smiled. Sure enough, there was the silver snowflake she had gifted her. "You're welcome. And it looks pretty on you."

Sybbie's steady gaze held her grandmother's, one little hand curled against Violet's chest. "Nana, why aren't you playing with us?"

Violet's heart tugged. Bless the child's little heart, her eyes were so big and earnest and her voice so plaintive that she felt guilty for not participating. "I'm a little tired, sweetheart."

"You don't look tired."

She had to chuckle at that one. There was nothing more true than children being the most honest people in the world - other than drunks, of course. "You're right, I'm not."

"Why'd you say you were, then?"

Well, it was better than _why'd you lie to me. _"I don't know if you'd understand, my dear."

"I can." Sybbie squirmed a little closer and snuggled her head against Violet's shoulder, hugging her as best she could. "What's wrong, Nana? I won't tell, I promise."

Again, Violet gave thanks, this time for the little snow outcropping that mostly hid them from view. The concealment made for a little privacy, and this was a private moment for sure and certain. In no way would she attract attention by crying, and she was dangerously close to shedding a tear at this innocent little girl's open love. "Oh, Sybbie, my darling girl," she said, wrapping her own arms around the child, "you certainly know how to melt your nana's heart."

Sybbie pulled back and frowned in confusion. "You have a frozen heart?"

Violet shook her head. Lord, there was no escaping this child's perception. "So to speak." She drew Sybbie back into her arms and adjusted her on her lap. "If I tell you what's wrong, will you promise not to tell anyone?"

Sybbie drew herself up and held out her little finger. "Pinky promise."

Unable to keep from smiling, Violet hooked her pinky around Sybbie's tiny one. "All right. The truth is, darling... I don't feel very pretty today."

A frown puckered Sybbie's brow again. "Why not?"

"I know this sounds silly, even to one your age, but I'm not the only Elsa here... and I'm certainly not the prettiest. Your Granny Cora, Auntie Mary, and cousin Marigold all look so much prettier than I do, and so do you."

"Nuh-uh!" Sybbie said, her dark curls bouncing as she shook her head.

"Uh-huh," Violet retorted, getting into the act she rarely got into with anyone else.

"Nuh-uh!" Sybbie repeated, her hair flying now. "You're beautiful, Nana. You're the most beautiful Elsa here."

Now it was Violet's turn to shake her head. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, I'm not," Sybbie said earnestly. "It's true. You are beautiful, Nana. A beautiful queen."

The tears that Violet had held at bay now trickled down her cheeks, causing the little girl in her lap to reach up and wipe them away. "Don't cry, Nana. I was only trying to help," she said, her little hands cradling her grandmother's face. "It's all right."

_Aren't the elders supposed to comfort the children? _Violet thought as she hugged her great-granddaughter even tighter, craving the warmth that the child's love brought. This little one had flipped that idea on its ear, reassuring her that all was well and restoring her faith out of pure, innocent love. _An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart. _"Thank you, Sybbie," she said softly, kissing the child's soft cheek. "You just thawed your nana's frozen heart."

"Good." Sybbie smiled at her grandmother before touching her forehead to Violet's. "I love you, Nana."

"I love you, too, darling." Sybbie was about to loosen her hug when Violet stopped her. "No, don't stop. I need your hug to keep me warm."

Sybbie's blue eyes sparkled with delight. "You like warm hugs, Nana?"

"Oh yes, sweetheart," Violet chuckled, cuddling her great-granddaughter close to her heart. "I love warm hugs."


End file.
